Finally Together
by Zan Artemis
Summary: AU [Updated Summary!] Daisuke is throwing a surprise party for Wiz, who's been upset ever since Dark disappeared. But the real surprise comes when Daisuke shows up with a familiar blunet in tow! DaisukeSatoshi slash!
1. I

Title: Finally Together  
Story: DNAngel  
Rating: R, rated for shonen-ai with some yaoi content.  
Genre:Romance, fluff! Pure pink marshmallows!! .:Winks at Yuki Haitani:. 

**_Author's Note  
_**_This is a one-shot fic based on DNAngel, but the parts of the scene are borrowed from one of the volumes of Mars._

_(Nozomu) Would that make it a cross-over?_

_I don't know, stop asking me things like that!! .:Spinney eyes:. He's been asking me things like that all day... _

_(Nozomu) .:Sits in the corner and clicks the beads on his bracelet:. Nani?_

_.:Falls over:. .:Twitchtwitch:. Anyway! Here it is. It was meant to be a one-shot, but I came up with an idea or two for it... I still might make it a one-shot, depends on what my readers think. Do you want a longer story with it, or keep it as a single? So please review with your opinions! And if you've got a little bit of time on your hands and haven't already, please read my other DNAngel fic, Everybody Needs Somebody to Love._

_Daizu is Daisuke's grandfather, by the way... .:Just watched the entire series twice again:. Yeah. Heh..._

_Dedications: Hm. This chapter (story?) is dedicated to my love Angel and my twin Alysa, as well as Linda, for letting me borrow the Mars mangas, which gave me the idea for it! Thank you all! .:Super-hugs everyone:._

_Thank you, and on with the story!_

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

"Niwa-kun!"

Daisuke Niwa looked up from where he'd been packing his bag to go home. Riku Harada was wading through the rest of the students go get to him and holding something in her hands. Finally she made it to his desk and placed the wrapped box on the tabletop beside his bag.

"What is this, Harada-san?" he asked and picked up the box. Whatever was in it was heavy, and didn't seem to be secured very well, as the weight kept shifting as he tilted the box.

"It's a gift for Wiz. Don't shake it!" she hastily added when he raised it over his head. "You'll hurt it!"

"Nani?" Thoroughly confused, Daisuke placed the box back on the desk and knelt down to look at it. He noticed the small holes drilled around the top of it, then nearly fell backwards as the box jumped and moved. "What's in there?"

"It's a friend, for Wiz. Don't you remember?"

_Oh yeah, _he thought. _Riku and I went to that pet shop to get the floppy-eared rabbit for Wiz, but it was already gone. Wiz was so sad that day, even the strawberries didn't help much. _"Hai... You got a rabbit for _my _rabbit?"

"Hai!" She grinned and nodded, then turned as her name was called from across the room. "I have to get to practice. I hope Wiz likes it, and remember, don't shake the box!" With that, she nimbly picked her way through the maze of desks and joined her friend at the door. The two girls laughed and disappeared around the corner.

Daisuke looked back at the box as he pulled his bag onto his shoulders. _Wiz... _The little rabbit-like creature had become so desolate after Dark disappeared it nearly broke Daisuke's heart. The redhead was still coping with the loss as well; he never would've imagined how much he'd come to depend on the smooth-talking flirt of a thief for support, friendship and advice. _Dark will be back in my children, though, _he tried to console himself. _Won't he? I mean, we _did_ seal the artwork... Does that mean he'll disappear forever? _

He shook his head to dispel the thought and scooped the box into his arms. _A new friend will do Wiz a lot of good, _he thought. _A new friend would do _me _a lot of good as well. Too bad things with Harada-san didn't work..._

After Daisuke had lost Dark, he'd tried going out with Riku Harada, but things didn't work out well, and they decided to be friends instead. It was a much easier burden to bear. Risa Harada, Riku's twin sister, had even tried dating the senior Satoshi Hiwatari, but that relationship was disastrous. Risa demanded more attention than Satoshi could give her, as he tried to keep up with his schoolwork and continue his job as commander-in-chief of the police force and still cope with the loss of his own other self, Krad, who was Dark's mortal enemy as well as _his_ other half. Lately there had been a rash of Phantom Thief copycats and wannabes, but Satoshi and Daisuke both knew all too well that the real Phantom Thief Dark Mousy was gone.

Daisuke sighed as he stepped out onto the street. The rabbit in the box shifted anxiously and began pawing at the sides. The redhead stopped and peeked in the box through one of the air holes. Two big blue eyes blinked back at him from the dim interior. He smiled and picked up the pace. Maybe this new friend would be good for the both of them.

"Mum, I'm home," Daisuke called as he walked into the front door. He stopped on the doorframe, however, and wondered what kind of traps she may have set up this time. Hopefully none today; he had a passenger. Emiko Niwa and Daisuke's grandfather had, ever since Daisuke had been a child, been training him to become the legendary Phantom Thief by setting up traps for him and testing him and his reflexes. But since Dark had gone, his mother had somewhat lost the heart and will to go on with the training, though every now and again Grandfather would set up the odd trick to keep his grandson nimble and in skill.

Kosuke, Daisuke's father, came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. Father and son appeared alike, except for a few details. Daisuke had inherited his shock of fire-red hair from his grandfather on his mother's side and her large, wide eyes, though his were red while hers were brown. Kosuke's hair was black and his eyes were normal and tired-looking, though happy ever since he'd come home. Daisuke was much shorter than his father, but he blamed that on puberty—_I have not yet begun to grow. _

"It's okay to come in," Kosuke said as he tucked the dishtowel into the strings of his apron. "Emiko-chan and Daizu-san went out to the store. I was just finishing up with a strawberry upside-down cake."

"Isn't that usually for pineapples?" Daisuke asked.

Kosuke shrugged. "I was hoping it would cheer up Wiz. He's been so distressed ever since..." his voice trailed off.

Daisuke held up his box and laughed a bit sheepishly. "Harada-san Riku had the same idea. She bought a rabbit to be a friend for Wiz."

"That was kind of her. Anyway, the cake will be done as soon as it cools and I can put the rest of the glaze on it; can you go get Wiz?"

"Sure." Daisuke started up the stairs, then stopped and turned back to the older man. "Father? I just had an idea."

"Nani?" Kosuke turned around to look at his son.

"How about we have a party for Wiz? The cake can be, well, a cake, and Harada-san's gift can be, you know, a gift, and I'll run out real quick to get him one from us. You or Mum could fix beef stew and rice—he really liked that when we made it in cooking class. That ought to cheer him up."

Kosuke grinned. "That's a great idea, Daisuke. Why not? Should we wait for Emiko-chan and Daizu-san?"

"If you want to." Daisuke set the box down on the table. "Can you keep an eye on the rabbit while I'm out? If Mum and Grandfather get back before me, don't start without me! Thanks!" He took off.

Kosuke leaned a hip against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, and chuckled at the empty entranceway, then turned to go into the kitchen.

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

The mall was busy for it being so early in the afternoon. Daisuke stood on the escalator and waited to arrive on the first floor. He had no idea, really, of what to get Wiz, but he was sure something would pop out at him sooner or later.

The redhead wandered through the wide open areas between the stores, peering into each room curiously. There were clothing stores, electronics shops, bookstores and thousands more, but nothing really Wiz would like. He was about to give up on the mall when his eyes locked on a tiny shop in the corner—an art shop. _I could paint Wiz a picture, _he thought delightedly. _But of what? _Not to be brought down, Daisuke made his way doggedly to the tiny store.

Brushes, paints, canvases—the store smelled of the art room at school, and Daisuke loved it. He hummed happily as he examined well-made hand-crafted brushes, pristine canvases, and colourful paints. There were art kits stocked for every project imaginable, from painting clothing to sculpting butter to ceramics of dolls. Daisuke ran his curious fingers across one of these doll-making kits. _Maybe Wiz would like a little Dark doll that he could keep. Or would that only make things worse? _Daisuke sighed. Wiz-like creatures were so complicated.

He was looking over a set of oil paints when a familiar flash of blue caught his eye. The redhead looked up to see Satoshi Hiwatari shuffling through the brushes. Satoshi had let his angel-soft blue hair grow out a bit to touch his collarbone, but it was still very well-kept and made him appear distinguished. He was taller than Daisuke—_who isn't?_—and softer-spoken. The Commander had gorgeous baby-blue eyes that Daisuke just adored. Satoshi had been the host to Dark's enemy Krad, an Angel of Light of sorts, but Daisuke and Satoshi had been friends.

"Hiwatari-kun!" Daisuke chirped happily. "What brings you here?"

Satoshi glanced up at his name, sapphire eyes softening when he saw who it was. "Niwa-kun. I was just looking for some supplies." He put the brush he'd been turning over in his hands back in the cup with the others. "What about you?"

"We're throwing a party for Wiz today—he's been so lonely since Dark left—and I've been looking for a gift for him. I was going to paint him a picture, but I can't think of one." The redhead sighed.

"Would you like me to walk with you?" Satoshi asked. Daisuke nodded and the two ambled out of the store. "What do you think Wiz would like?"

"I don't know. Harada-san got him a rabbit-friend, and Father's making a strawberry cake, so there go the two things I know he likes. Father or Mum is going to make his favourite dinner as well."

"Why don't you draw a picture for him?" Satoshi suggested as they walked towards the escalators. "One of him and Eter? She is still with you, no?"

"Hai, she is..."

"Didn't you say Wiz had a bit of a crush on her?" The blunet leaned one hip on the rail of the escalators. He'd changed out of his school uniform, Daisuke noted a bit belatedly. The younger boy also noted with a faint blush that the black skin-tight shirt and jeans made him look absolutely sexy, accenting his lean muscle, narrow hips, and long legs.

The redhead's throat went a bit dry and he coughed to clear it. "Something of that nature," he hedged. "But that's a good idea, Hiwatari-kun. Arigato."

He nodded and stepped up on the rising stairs. "Get what supplies you'll need for the painting," he said as the steps took him higher, "and meet me in the bookstore. I'll give you a ride home."

Daisuke flushed, but waved that he heard and turned back towards the art store. He studied the oil paints and the water colours for a moment, trying to decide which ones to use for Wiz and Eternal Instruction, or Eter, as his family so affectionately called her. The girl could morph from a human-like body to that of a bird whenever she became excited or flustered. She hadn't been acting herself exactly since Dark had left, either; maybe this could be a way to cheer them both up.

It took him a while to pick out the exact shades he wanted for Eter's hair and clothing, and by the time he purchased his paints and brushes, the clocks were chiming the six o'clock hour. Daisuke's eyes widened as he snatched his bag up and raced to the escalators. _Kyah! Where is Hiwatari-kun? Why did it take me so long? Is he still in the bookstore? _Thoughts raced through his mind as he tapped his toes impatiently on the escalator. _It probably would've been faster to take the stairs._

Once on the second story, he sprinted to the bookstore, but they'd already closed. _Did he leave without me? _The redhead walked back to the escalator and waited as the mechanical stairs took him back down.

"Niwa-kun!"

Daisuke looked up to see Satoshi on the opposite escalator going up. The redhead turned around and tried to push through the throngs of people to walk up the escalator steps, but they were pushing him down, not letting him have any space. Once he reached the bottom, the redhead swung over and stepped up on the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Niwa-kun!" This time it was a somewhat laughing call. Satoshi leaned over the rail from the stairs going down and reached for Daisuke's hand, but he was pulled too far away before Daisuke could reach back. Laughing somewhat himself, Daisuke veered back over to the downward steps once he reached the top. Passersby were becoming flustered and annoyed with him by now.

"Hiwatari-kun!" he called when he saw the Commander leaning on the rail of the stairs making their way up, head tilted charmingly to the side. They kept up this game until, finally tired of going up and down and yet going nowhere at all, called to Satoshi as they passed one another yet again, "Wait down there for me." The blunet nodded.

The ride back down was made all the longer by Daisuke's actually wanting to be there. He sighed and stamped impatiently, making the other passengers on the stairs murmur and move away from him, casting annoyed glances his way. When a path opened up in front of him, Daisuke ran down the escalator stairs, gaining momentum and nearly tripping over his own feet as gravity pulled him down faster than he would normally. He hit the bottom of the moving stairs and stumbled, pitching forward.

Satoshi caught him and swung the redhead around in a full circle before Daisuke's momentum slowed down. The both of them were laughing, and people stopped to stare. Thoroughly enjoying themselves and feeling decidedly wicked, they devised a game and put it into action without even having to speak to one another about it. Satoshi cradled the redhead to his chest tenderly and glared at the passersby, snarling, "What? He's _mine!" _while Daisuke snuggled up closer to him and buried his face in the older boy's chest, crying happily, "We're finally together, my dearest Satoshi!" He was trying not to laugh and blow it while Satoshi stroked his back and hair possessively, growling at the people around them and whispering nothings in his ear. The warm air on his cheek tickled, but Daisuke only grinned. Mothers hurried their children along and eventually they were once more forgotten. Free to let go their laughter now, the boys parted and walked towards the exit, still giggling together.

"Ready for me to take you home?" Satoshi asked softly when they were outside in the cool refreshing night air. Daisuke nodded and followed after the blunet.

Satoshi led him over to a sleek, jet black motorcycle with chrome trimmings, parked between a white van and a blue Kia. He secured Daisuke's shopping bag in a leather saddle bag, then unstrapped a midnight blue helmet from the back and tossed it to the startled redhead. "Put that on."

"Okay. Hiwatari-kun, I didn't know you rode a motorcycle."

He shrugged. "I didn't used to, but I picked it up after Krad..." His voice trailed off and he coughed to clear his throat. _I suppose, as sadistic as he was, Krad was very important to Hiwatari-kun, _Daisuke thought as he struggled to fasten the helmet under his chin.

"Here, let me." Satoshi's voice was soft and his hands gentle as he batted away Daisuke's clumsy fingers and nimbly looped the strap through the two rings to fasten the helmet over Daisuke's hair. He tugged the knot tight and affectionately knocked on the top of the helmet. Daisuke couldn't help but grin in response. Then the blunet swung his leg over the seat and the bike roared to life as he started it up, then, kicking out the passenger's footpegs, motioned Daisuke to get on. Daisuke looked anxiously from Satoshi to the bike and back before placing one hand on Satoshi's shoulder and the other on the seat, awkwardly mounting the bike. Satoshi grinned and shook his bangs from his eyes as Daisuke situated himself.

"Try to stay still—don't shift your weight around too much," the older boy called over his shoulder. He shook his bangs from his eyes, a habit he had gotten into since he quit wearing his glasses—he didn't need them anyway, Daisuke had never figured out why he wore them in the first place— and revved the engine. Daisuke wrapped his arms securely around Satoshi's waist and leaned up against his back.

The bike slowly began to move, but soon it was racing with the cars. Satoshi grinned as they shot past another tiny car on the highway. Daisuke found the feeling of being on the back of a motorcycle freeing, and yet terrifying. He felt so uninhibited without the cold metal walls of a car around him and loved the feeling of the wind blowing across his body. The redhead was almost sad as the bike pulled to a stop outside his house. Awkwardly he dismounted and fumbled with the clasp once more.

"Here, let me get it." Satoshi laughed and pushed his fingers away. Daisuke felt a queer awareness that was just short of pain flash through his body as their fingers met, and a strange sense of loss and sadness when the contact was severed. The blunet very carefully pulled the helmet up and over Daisuke's head, slowly revealing the redhead's face, flushed with excitement from the ride.

"Did you like that?" the blunet asked conversationally as he retrieved Daisuke's bag from the saddlebags. "That was the first time I've ever ridden with a passenger. I would've been very sad had I wrecked and ended up killing one or both of us."

"_Nani?!" _Horrified, Daisuke could only stare as Satoshi handed him the bag.

Satoshi laughed. "Not too bad for a first, if I do say." He noted Daisuke's face and at least tried to appear remorseful. "Don't be mad, you were perfectly safe."

Daisuke recalled the free feeling that had encompassed him as they were gliding over the asphalt of the highway and couldn't find it in himself to be upset with the adorable detective. He found himself grinning back at Satoshi and laughing. "Hai, I know I was."

"Maybe we could go for rides more often," Satoshi suggested. "We haven't been seeing much of one another since..."

"Yeah..." Daisuke sobered and looked away. Satoshi seemed to be intent on studying the road at his feet. "So, um," Daisuke managed after a moment, "would you like to come in for the party? It ought to be fun, and I'm sure Wiz would be glad to have you here."

"Hai, arigato." Satoshi smiled and strapped the helmet onto the back of the motorcycle, then followed the redhead up the front steps. Daisuke felt his hand brush the older boy's and didn't know if it was intentional or not, but didn't care. His heart soared as the two of them stepped through the door. It was time to start the party.

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

**_Author's Note  
_**_So how horrible was it? It was just a little scene I'd been kicking around and figured it'd be cute. Now, my dear readers, to continue this fic or leave it as is? I leave it to you to decide! And just so you know, that chapter (story?) was over twice as long as what my normal ones are. X.X .:feels tired:. ACK! I was supposed to start dinner fifteen minutes ago!!!_


	2. II

_**Author's Notes** _

_This story didn't start off too badly, if I do say so! .:Grins:. I'm glad you like it. I know I'm taking a lotta little bit of poetic license with it, but that's okay, right? I'm a bit behind schedule with updating this fic: I have 14 reviews already. Typically I update every 10 reviews, at the very soonest. Unless it's a story like Dark Night of the Soul, which is based on a game. Hardly anybody reads Chrono Trigger fics, so… yeah. If you've ever played the game and you like Crono/Magus pairings, I've got one!! .:Jumps up and down waving her arms:. Me, me, me!! Pick me, sensei!_

_Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Alysa, my twin, Angel, my love, and Vanessa, my friend who lets me borrow her Gravitation mangas!!_

_Here's chapter two!_

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

"_Ojiisan_, _okaasan, otousan, _I'm home!" Daisuke called as he pushed the door open. The blunet followed him in and quietly shut the door behind the them. Daisuke, ever the polite host, took Satoshi's coat and hung it up in the closet while the commander took off his shoes. "Has the party started already? I brought a guest, is that okay?"

"Daisuke? We're in the kitchen, _sai,_" came Kosuke's voice from behind the door along the far wall. "Come on."

Daisuke turned to Satoshi and grinned, rubbing the back of his head lightly. "Shall we go?"

"Hai," Satoshi nodded and gently nudged the redhead ahead of him. "Does your mother still dislike me?"

"Dislike you?" he echoed dumbly. "When did she ever dislike you?"

"Because of Krad…" Sapphire blue eyes slid to the side and to the floor, almost shamefully. "Actually, I'm surprised _you _don't hate me, Niwa-kun. He _did _try to kill you, after all… Many times… And I couldn't stop him…"

Daisuke's heart nearly melted. He reached up and gently tugged Satoshi's chin, making the blunet look him square in the eye. He smiled softly. "She never disliked _you_, Hiwatari-kun. And _I _certainly don't hate you."

Satoshi's eyes widened a bit. "Truly?" he whispered. Cerulean blue glimmered with unshed tears and hope. "You don't hate me?"

"No. I could never hate you." Daisuke's voice was just as soft. "Hiwatari-kun, I…" Slowly he swayed a bit towards the older boy, and Satoshi leaned down. Their eyes drifted closed as their faces came closer together.

"Dai-kun!" Eter happily bustled out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her. The boys froze in place, lips mere centimeters apart, but she seemed oblivious. "Hurry! The party is starting!" She grabbed his arm and began tugging him across the room. Her raven black hair sparked lightly in the lighting, and her green eyes glimmered with mischief. Halfway there she gave up on dragging him along and ran into the other room without him.

Satoshi coughed a bit, clearing his throat, and looked at the wall. A soft blush graced his cheeks, pinkening his features delicately. His azure eyes shifted slowly towards Daisuke, but upon meeting the other boy's eyes, his own darted away. "We probably ought to hurry."

"Hai." Equally embarrassed over what they had almost done, Daisuke sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "We don't want to miss dinner and cake and… all… that…. yeah." He tried to laugh, but it came out a croaky cough. He cleared his throat.

The blunet picked his way across the floor until he was standing right behind the other boy. Daisuke fidgeted and began walking to the kitchen. Satoshi followed, directly behind him. The redhead pushed the door open.

_"Surprise!"_

Noisemakers boomed, confetti flew, and laughter filled the air. Daisuke stood in the doorway of the kitchen, stunned and confused. Streamers were thrown about and taped up to the walls and ceiling, and it looked like a multi-coloured tornado had blown through and nobody had cleaned up. Daisuke's grandfather, mother, and father stood around the table; with them were Risa and Riku Harada, Eter, and Wiz. On the table dinner was set, enough for a small army, but what caught his eye was the centerpiece. A cake, five layers high and each larger than the one above, graced the lacy tablecloth. Soft blue frosting covered the confection and a dark violet piping read "Happy Birthday, Daisuke!"

"My birthday? It's not…" Daisuke began, but stopped. His eyes widened. It _was _his birthday—how could he have forgotten?

"You've been so wrapped up with schoolwork and missing Dark-san," Risa began—

"—That we decided to celebrate for you," Riku finished. The two girls were standing beside one another, arms linked. The sisters had become closer since their episode with Hio-san, having actually aided in the downfall of Hiwatari, Satoshi's adoptive father.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, Daisuke?" Daizu asked. He combed his gray beard with a knobby hand. "I believe we did an excellent job in putting this whole thing together…"

"Happy Birthday, Niwa-kun," Satoshi said from behind him, resting one hand on his shoulder.

"Hiwatari-kun?" Daisuke whirled around. "You were in on this, too?"

"Hai." A twinkle was restored in his eyes and he grinned softly down at the younger boy. "Your mother called the Harada-san sisters, and they worked it out with me in school."

"But the party for Wiz…?"

The little white-ish rabbit-creature hopped across the table and climbed up Daisuke's sleeve. He sniffed Daisuke's ear, making the redhead flinch and giggle. "Wiz! That tickles!" He picked up the little bunny. "I love you, you fluff ball." Smiling, he gently scratched behind Wiz's ears, then turned back to all his friends and family. "Arigato, all of you."

In turn, each nodded, and the party began.

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

The moon shone brightly down over the Niwa house and the stars twinkled as the two teenage girls said goodbye to the birthday boy in the doorway. The identical sisters each embraced the blushing redhead, bestowed a sisterly kiss on his cheek, and climbed into their waiting limo. Daisuke leaned against the door frame and let the breeze play on his flushed face. The night air was so crisp and cool.

"Niwa-kun?" Satoshi came up behind him. "Your mother invited me to stay the night, since it's so late. Is that all right?"

"Hai, of course." Daisuke turned to his friend, smiling. "Arigato, Hiwatari-kun. This was a wonderful surprise. I don't really know what else to say."

The older boy just smiled. "I have another gift for you, Niwa-kun, but you'll have to wait to get it."

Despite himself, Daisuke's curiosity was peaked. "You didn't have to, Hiwatari-kun. Really." He sidled up beside his friend. "But what is it?" He grinned.

Satoshi laughed and drew the redhead into a gentle, friendly hug. "You'll have to wait and see. Shall we see if your mother needs help cleaning up?"

"Sure…" Daisuke's stomach felt like it'd dropped from where it belonged and his had heart jumped into his throat at the moment they touched. He swallowed it back down and cleared his throat. _It was just a hug, _he admonished himself. _Don't read too much into it. He's your friend, after all… _

Still…

Emiko waved the boys off when they offered for help. She and Eter had already cleared the table and were in the process of storing the leftovers while Kosuke and Daizu worked their way through the stack of dishes.

"We have it all handled down here," she said. "Why don't you two boys go upstairs and go to bed?"

The teens watched as Wiz pushed a small brush around with his nose, pushing the confetti all into a pile to be scooped up by one of the people. "Yes ma'am," they said and headed for the stairs.

Satoshi hung a bit back. When Daisuke questioned him, he answered, "I can sleep downstairs on the couch, if you prefer."

"It's all right," Daisuke assured him. "I have plenty of extra blankets in my room. Really."

"If you're sure…"

"I am." Daisuke grinned and took the older boy's hand, gently tugging him up the stairs. "Stop worrying; it's my birthday."

Satoshi smiled despite himself and followed the irrepressible redhead up the stairs. His fingers tingled from where their hands were linked and he felt the butterflies fluttering in his stomach, but didn't act on them. _Niwa-kun isn't like that… is he? _Still, he said nothing.

Daisuke proudly opened the door to his bedroom, and nearly fell over. Clearly the surprises weren't over yet. His entire floor save one walkway to the ladder to his bed was covered with plastic drop sheets, stapled down to the floorboards along the edges. There was a note on the wall beside his door.

_Dying the carpets—no walking on them for two days! Mom_

_Why does she always interfere? _Daisuke thought, distressed. Then his mind latched onto another problem. _Where is Hiwatari-kun going to sleep?_

Satoshi peered at the note from over Daisuke's shoulder. "You're _sure_ you don't want me to sleep on the couch?"

Daisuke's eyes wandered around his room. He had his own couch, true, but it was inaccessible because of the plastic sheets.

Suddenly from downstairs there was a loud crash and the sounds of something shattering. The boys looked at one another, then took off running down the stairs.

Satoshi reached the landing first but didn't round the corner into the kitchen, luckily for him. No sooner had he stopped than a ceramic coffee mug went flying at head-level to smash into the wall behind him. Daisuke made to run past him, but the blunet caught him about the waist. The younger boy's momentum carried him around in a circle to crash against Satoshi's sturdy body. Quietly hushing the redhead, Satoshi held him to his chest and focused his attention on the kitchen.

The sounds of a loud, violent argument were coming from the kitchen. Emiko and Kosuke, from the tones. Eter was crying, and Daizu wasn't to be heard. Finally the fight escalated into a deafening crescendo in which no words were discernable, and it all came to a crushing silence as a loud _crash _rent the air and faded into an echo. After a few moments of the unearthly silence, Satoshi cautiously loosened his grip on the redhead. Daisuke started to run around the corner when a content-looking if somewhat red-faced Emiko emerged.

"Kosuke will be sleeping on the sofa tonight," she informed the boys. She smiled apologetically at the commander. "Would you mind sleeping upstairs with Daisuke?"

"That's fine," Satoshi stammered.

"What happened, _okaasan?_" Daisuke demanded.

"Oh, nothing," she said airily. "Just a teensy argument." Her eyes lighted on the shattered remains of the coffee mug in the corner. "Oh, that was my favourite cup!" She set about cleaning up the shards cautiously, using a handkerchief to pick up the pieces.

Daisuke was already on his way to the kitchen, and Satoshi followed. What met them was absolute havoc. Glasses were shattered, ceramics smashed to smithereens, and the table was overturned. There was nobody in sight. Daisuke stood frozen, one eye twitching. Satoshi didn't quite know what to say and touched the boy's shoulder lightly. "Niwa-kun?"

"Let's… let's go upstairs," the redhead said somewhat stiffly and turned on his heel. Satoshi followed quietly. "You can sleep in my bed," he was saying as they climbed the stairs. "I'll sleep outside on the balcony."

"You'll catch your death!"

"I'll be fine—it's still warm out at night."

"Niwa-kun, there's a skein of ice over the fountain outside my home." _A teensy white lie, but I believe the ends may certainly more than justify the means, _the blunet thought to himself.

"Oh. Well… I guess the only thing left is to share the bed. Do you have any problems with that?"

"No." But he did. Satoshi's stomach began to knot itself up, and he could feel his palms grow sweaty. _Sleep in the same bed as Niwa-kun? And _not _touch him? How? _"That's fine."

Twenty minutes later, with the redhead fast asleep and snuggled up close to him, Satoshi wasn't so certain anymore. _It's going to be a long night._

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

**_Author's Notes_**

_Gomen! This chapter is so… dumb. .:Pokes it:. I liked how it was going, but the end was kinda anti-climactic, huh? It'll get better, I promise! Just please, keep reading! The next chapter will be up soon (which knowing me, could mean any given time between tomorrow and next month), so please keep an eye out! .:Bowbow:. For those of you looking for a "scene" (.:Just read Fake number 7:. .:Will never be the same again:.), I'll let you in on a spoiler by telling you that it comes in next chapter. o.- keep an eye out!_


	3. III

**_Author's Notes_**

_I can't believe I'm writing this… .:Stares at her manuscript:. Actually, you almost didn't have this chapter. I started writing it as a manuscript the other night, and then today when I went to type it, I couldn't find the manuscript, and I don't think I could write this a second time. V.V;;; .:Bright red flush:. For those of you that _don't _know, this is my _first ever _lemon, so… it probably sucks. V.V;; Luckily my family is out right now… okay, Zan, quit stalling. .:Takes a deep breath and squeezes her eyes closed:. Here we go…_

_Notes before I start because I know I won't remember to do this later: Kaji means "fire." Koibito means "beloved" or something along those lines._

—_here on is from the manuscript—_

_I decided to do this chapter in first person in Satoshi's point of view. I thought it'd be much more meaningful that way. Either way, I hope you like it and don't get _too _confused._

_Also, this is my very first lemon, especially my very first shonen-ai one, so _please _go easy on me!! .:runs and hides under her bed:._

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

The moon was in its highest reigning position of the night when the wind from outside blew the window open with a resounding _crash._ I jerked awake and instinctively clutched at the nearest thing to me—I hate storms. Unfortunately, the closest thing to me was the body beside mine. Niwa-kun slept through it all, sprawled out on the mattress. His slender body took up over three quarters of the narrow bed, but I was fine sleeping curled up around him. We shared the same body heat and breathed the same air, and the close proximities were driving me out of my mind.

Careful not to wake him (though part of me doubted the need to bother—he probably wouldn't wake up if he was pitched over the head with a glass of water) I unwrapped myself from him and strode to the window. Crisp air from outside blew in and teased my hair. For a moment I stood there in the wind and just let the cold of the breeze and the wet of the rain wash over me, trying to calm my body. _This is getting out of hand, _I told myself firmly. _I need to get control of the situation._

I closed the window and the lock clicked softly into place. Oddly it was that quiet, nearly inaudible sound that caused the redhead sprawled on the bed, tangled in the sheets, to rouse. Niwa-kun shifted and tangled further into the quilt.

I smiled; I couldn't help it. _He's just too cute. _The pajamas I'd borrowed from Niwa Kosuke-san were a size or so too big, and the silky fabric whispered across my skin, hyper-sensitizing the already fevered nerves. I couldn't take it any longer: _I have to tell him how I feel. I'll just die if I don't._

Quietly I sat down beside him, perched on the very edge of the bed. "Niwa-kun. Niwa-kun, wake cup." I shook his shoulder. "Niwa-kun?"

"Mmm? Hmm-mm." He stretched adorably, yawning silently and squeezing his eyes closed like a cat. Then he tilted his head to the side charmingly and opened his eyes a little, kept them half-lidded. "Hiwatari-kun? Is it morning already?"

"Iie." I shook my head. "Can you wake up a little? There's something I need to talk to you about."

He pushed himself up onto his elbows and tilted his head coquettishly to the side. I doubt he realized he did it. "Nani? Daijoubu? Did you have a bad dream?"

"I'm fine, and no, I didn't have a bad dream…" _Say it, baka! _But my tongue wouldn't work. "Niwa-kun… _kaji…"_

"Nani?"

"Niwa-kun…" I took a deep breath and just said it, for better or worse. "I… I love you."

He didn't say anything for a moment, then only my name, questioningly. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair hard enough to nearly yank the roots from my scalp.

"I really do. I don't think I can go on living anymore pretending I don't, that we're just friends. It _hurts_, dammit!" Frustrated tears rolled down my cheeks and I fisted my hands in the pajama pants' material. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to stop them, and bowed my head to hide the tears. "Every time I look at you, I love you so much it hurts. And it just kills me that I can't tell you."

I laughed, a dry, humourless chuckle, when he didn't respond. "You must think I'm some kind of pervert now," I said self-derisively. "Silly little Hikari Satoshi and his crazy fantasies. Maybe I am. But I just had to tell you… to make it stop… it hurts so much…" I couldn't hold the tears back any longer and instead broke down crying, leaning over so my chest touched my thighs and my arms were looped around the backs of my knees.

Still he didn't say anything. I sobbed into my knees as I tried to gather my thoughts and energy. "I'll leave," I whispered. "Just… give me a minute, okay?"

Then I felt his fingers in my hair, and then his arms around my waist, and he leaned up against my back with his cheek between my shoulder blades. Startled, my tears stopped and I froze. "Niwa-kun…?"

"Baka," he said, but the word was laced with affection. His voice was as unsteady as my own. "You are so silly, Satoshi…"

_Well, he said my name, so I can say his. _Slowly I sat up, and he fell away to sit at the head of his bed, eyes shielded by his crimson hair.

"Daisuke_… Boko no suki?"_

The redhead slowly shook his head to the side and smiled very gently. His eyes came up to meet mine. _"Iie. Aishiteru." _

"You love me." I smiled, but the tears wouldn't still wouldn't stop. I tried to wipe them away, but still they came.

"Satoshi, why are you crying? Daijoubu? Satoshi?" His voice and his eyes betrayed his concern, and he wrapped his arms around me. "Satoshi, what's wrong? Tell me so I can fix it."

I shook my head. "How can you love me… after all that's happened? I'm not good enough for you—"

He pressed his lips to mine, probably just to shut me up. Still… I kissed him desperately, as if my entire world would crumble if I didn't—and at that moment, it very well might have. My hands came up to frame his face, brush his cheeks ever so lightly. This is what I wanted, what I needed—him.

His skin was so soft and supple beneath my fingertips, like the flesh of an angel. He moaned low in his throat and kissed me back as thoroughly as I was kissing him. His hands pummeled through my hair. My tongue swept into his mouth, tasting its forbidden deliciousness. He tasted sweet and tangy, pure male. I brushed his tongue with my own and felt him melt in my arms.

A matching moan rose in my throat and I suddenly _had_ to have him. Possessively I ran my hands down his sides, then reverently back up. When my fingers brushed over the bare flesh beneath his shirt, he came undone.

"Yes… Satoshi," he breathed across my cheek. The throbbing ache in my groin intensified and I groaned. I helped him pull the pajama top off. His upper body was perfect, and I pulled back to stare at him. His skin was pale as china porcelain, flawless. He wasn't overly buff, but there was an understated strength hidden just beneath the surface.

I couldn't resist. I lowered my head and pressed my lips against the hollow of his throat. The pulse beneath my lips jumped erratically as my tongue washed over it, followed by gentle nipping kisses. His head tilted back, crimson orbs fluttering closed. "Koibito," he ground out achingly.

His nails scored over my back under my shirt, and I smiled against his shoulder. The pain merely served to underline the pleasure of being truly loved and cherished. I brushed a line of butterfly kisses across his shoulder.

My shirt followed his to the floor. It blew my mind away when his lips closed around my left nipple. I closed my eyes tightly with the pleasure that rolled through my body, shaking me to my very core, when his teeth gently tugged at the sensitive flesh.

"Daisuke," I managed to gasp. "_Daisuke… _ooh…"

His mouth came hungrily back to mine, and greedily I took possession. I crushed him to me. Skin on skin, bodies rasping, it felt so good. My hands traced their way down his spine until I could hook my fingertips in the waistband of his pajama bottoms. Everything was a blur, and the next thing I knew, he and I were naked, writhing to be close as possible in the narrow bed.

"Satoshi," he whimpered between kisses, "Satoshi, _please…_"

I pressed another urgent kiss against his swollen and bruised lips, framing his face with my hands and grinding my pelvis against his. He shuddered and groaned deep in his throat.

The rest of the night was a blur to me, a wondrous mix of intense pleasure, only underscored by the slight pain he felt when I entered him. His pain translated into my being, but he didn't seem to mind it, holding onto me so tightly as to be just this side of bruising until the pain faded.

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

I woke up the next morning alone in a strange bed. I lay there for a while, waiting for my blood pressure to wake up and trying to remember how I had gotten where I was. When the memories came rushing back to me, my face burned and I wanted to crawl under a rock and die of embarrassment. _Niwa-kun… Does he regret… it? _And where was he, anyway?

As if on cue, the bright fire-red head poked up over the side of the loft bed. "Ohayo! Good, you're awake." Daisuke smiled and tilted his head to the side a bit. "How do you feel?"

I blinked. "I'm fine… Aren't you sore… from last night?" A pale blush crept up my cheeks.

He froze and a darker blush rose from his neck to the roots of his hair. "A little," he said after a moment. "But I'm all right." Daisuke stepped up another rung higher on the ladder. "Scoot over."

I did as I was told and scooted a bit over in the narrow bed. When I made to sit up, the blanket fell to my waist from where it had been previously at my chin, and I realized I was still naked. Oddly, it didn't bother me.

Daisuke pushed at my chest lightly, a silent request for me to lie back down. I stretched out and he did the same, resting his head on the pillow beside mine. We face each other and stared at one another for a while.

Finally I could stand the silence no longer. "Niwa-kun… Do you… have any regrets?" I asked hesitantly.

Without even pausing to consider the question, he shook his head no. "Iie, of course not." He smiled that heart-stopping smile. "I love you."

I blushed and looked away. Before last night… nobody had ever said those words to me. Hearing them in the dark of the night was one thing. Darkness was mystery, safety. In the daylight we had to face the world and all its condemnation.

"Hiwatari-kun? Do you? Regret last night, I mean."

"No! Not at all!" I protested and turned back to him, eyes wide. I wanted to tell him everything I felt for him, but I couldn't put it into words. It was like… and he was… How could I tell him that he meant _everything_ to me?

"Then call me Daisuke. And…" Shyly he turned his eyes to the pillow beneath our heads. He traced tiny circles on the bedspread. "Could you… kiss me? Please?" his voice was soft, barely audible.

I blinked, then smiled. "Daisuke…" I pulled him closer to me and pressed him down on his back lightly, looming over him. Slowly I drew towards him, giving him plenty of time to change his mind should the notion take to his head. His eyes latched onto mine, and he said nothing. I brushed my lips over his lightly, a teasing kind of kiss, an asking kiss.

He chuckled somewhat, still blushing furiously. "Not like that," he whispered against my lips. "Like you did last night."

I raised an eyebrow and studied his face. "Oh, you mean like this?" The next kiss I gave was demanding and yet gentle. My tongue slid between his lips to duel with his. He tasted as good as he had last night, but with a faint taste of mint tea.

"Mmm…yes," he said softly and kissed me back. I growled and kissed him harder, fisting my hands in the material of his shirt at his waist.

Just as things were getting interesting, his mother's voice floated up from downstairs. "Dai-ja, Hiwatari-kun, breakfast. I expect you down here in two minutes—if you're not, I'm coming up to get you!"

I sighed, and he smiled apologetically up at me. "You'd better put some clothes on, Satoshi-kun," he said cheerfully as he sat up a bit and pressed a light kiss to my cheek.

I flushed and sat beside him. The sheets pooled around my waist. "Your mother has really bad timing."

"I know." He slid down the ladder to the ground and handed my clothing up to me. I took the clothes, but grabbed his wrist as well.

"Daisuke… Are you sure?" I asked him seriously. I had to know if he really meant it, that I meant something to him.

He met me squarely in the eye, then twisted his hand until my grip slipped from his wrist. Before I could react, however, he intertwined his fingers with mine and pulled me down a bit, not enough to pull me from the bed, just to lean over. He pressed his lips to mine firmly, then sweetly and tenderly.

When he pulled back, he smiled that adorable smile at me. "I love you, Hiwatari Satoshi. Of that I am _very _sure."

I smiled, flushing somewhat. "I love you, too."

"Dai-ja! I'm coming up there!" Emiko called from the foot of the stairs. "So you two had best cut out whatever naughty things you're doing and make yourselves presentable!"

Daisuke fell over from the shock of his mother's choice of words, his skin a red brighter than his hair colour. As I hastily pulled my clothing on, he jumped back up and yelled through the closed door, "Mother! Don't use such language!"

He turned back to me and smiled, then held his hand out to help me down the ladder. I smiled, and we walked out of the room, hands clasped and fingers intertwined.


End file.
